Processing and manufacturing plant structures exposed to vibrating or pulsating bodies may themselves be driven in vibration. Whether transmitted mechanically or caused by the impact of pulsating fluid flow, unless controlled such vibrations may result in mechanical damage to the structures or to equipment with which they are connected or may create undesirable noise in the vicinity of the structures.
Pipelines and other conduits carrying fluids from pumps and the shells or housings of silencers and snubbers connected in such conduits are examples of structures that may be set in vibration which must then be at least substantially mitigated.
Vibration barriers for such applications have long been known; see, for example, the vibration isolating structure of U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,610.
The object of the present invention is to provide a vibration barrier adapted to be interposed in a conduit to prevent the transmission of vibration along the conduit. Since the barrier device is interposed in the conduit, it must also serve to structurally connect and support the vibrating and non-vibrating portions of the conduit. More specifically, the object of the invention is to provide a vibration barrier for interposition in a conduit comprising a series of cantilevers and vibration damping means associated with each cantilever element whereby vibrational energy transmitted to one end of the connector is damped in stages so that little or no vibration is transmitted through and beyond the connector in the conduit. A futher object is to provide such a vibration barrier at very low cost.